Crumbly Acres & miniFred

The big news. Our new friend, Rick, made it home to Lansing, Michigan. His cycling trip was about 1500 mi. long. The last part was on a train! Jeannie wrote about his homecoming!

New news, this is the last time we saw miniFred, Friday, Sept. 12th. (I think Momma Fred is sleeping in her winter home. That's been her pattern for three years!)

MiniFred's doing weird stuff with the tarp. Momma Fred dragged it into the hole I covered up in the summer. That's where the coyotes get in. MiniFred moved it... 

The youngster was dashing in the wood shed, grabbing leaves, and taking them into the burrow for a fine winter nap. They are true hibernators and once they are down, they are down until spring.

Joe sat and watched for miniFred on Saturday, no sign of her! He had a lovely sit, though. I put the garbage out at 6:00 a.m. and it was 8 ℃, no wonder she's sleeping. 

#75 has been out and about. He's a released Gray Squirrel (Black Morph).

 I found one on the trailcam way down in the forest.

I've a story about watering my hanging planters. The water was coming out really slowly. I unscrewed the pouring spout, and found a Gray Tree frog hiding in the water bucket. 

Joe went to Smiths Falls, and on the way home he brought some strawberries for us. They have a special type of strawberries that are ready in summer, not spring. Yummy! 

It is wonderful getting food from down the road. Today I'm going to get some pumpkins, as we've family coming!

I've a plan to bring in the fishies. The well water takes a long time to warm to room temperature. I filled it 1/4 on Sat., Sept. 13, adding another 1/4 on Sunday.  

Town is a bit of a mess, with roads being rebuilt. 

The trees are beginning to turn in Perth.

Saturday's Critters

Things have been quiet. We keep hoping for rain. 

Fred and little Fred:

Butch has been around. Just one at a time. This is the first year we haven't seen any kits on the trailcams. It is unusual. 

 

 The coyote with the messed up leg hasn't been around since July 18.

   

 I do like watching the porcupine. They are so quiet, and just amble around the forest.

   

Then there are the stink bugs! Pretty colours, I would say.

 

The gray tree frog: 

 🐛Monarch caterpillars. The first looks like the 3rd instar (morph), the others perhaps the second. 

🐸I managed to take the goldfish pond pump out and clean it. Froggie wouldn't move so I had to bonk his raft out of the way. He wasn't amused.

Saturday's Critters # 608 <= visit more critters here.

Saturday's Critters

We are enjoying the last of the critters. Soon they will hunker down. The tree frog likes the camera. This was an unusual spot!

 

Aug. 10th - a buck

Porcupine is so cute!

   

 For some reason it visited the dock!

   

 Then there was a cottontail in the forest.

Butch, on two trailcams, eating grubs.

   

 And the coyote:  

 The turkeys are out in the forest.  

 The fisher came by on both trailcams.

Saturday's Critters # 559 <= I am joining more critter allies!

Bugs, birds, frogs, wasps

My cough is less, thank goodness. So is hubby's. Poor Joe! He fetched me some new library books, popped the bill for my ambulance trip during my COVID bout into the mailbox ($45), and brought us home a cooked turkey breast and potatoes for dinner. (I like turkey, he does not!)

 

My wasp bite isn't so painful. The Benylin helped me. It doesn't look like I've taken Botox to remove my wrinkles anymore! Wise words to remove my ring, but it was too late. I can't get it off on a good day!

I'm a bit worried about gardening now. Dang wasps are desperate for food with the cooler night temperatures. 

My darling daughter sent me a care package! Isn't that sweet?! It was such a delight! 

The tree frogs have mated and the little ones have come all the way up the hill from the wetland, having morphed from tadpole to frog. Can you see it? 

I found another one on the Hydrangea in another garden. They really are adorable! 

And so tiny!

This is an adult who likes to sit one the camera, until the sun comes out and it goes into the shade. It is an older one than the baby on the leaf.

I watched a grasshopper crawl (walk?) all along the deck railing. From one end to the other. They are interesting critters.

 

Popcorn clouds! We ended up with a downpour or two on Sunday. Silly little popcorn clouds. You gather up your stuff, especially library books, roar indoors, and 5 minutes later, sunshine!

Look at this! While other are sneaking zuccinni onto their neighbour's front porch, I just have one!

I thought the bullfrog had gone elsewhere, but found him on the edge of the pond. They eat little frogs, seriously! I imagine I won't have to move the wee ones down to the frog pond this year.

I have lost my touch. I used to be able to catch these by hand. This old fart had to use a net. Ah, the good old days! 

bullfrog from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The hummingbirds will migrate soon. Our wildflowers are nearing the end of their season. I was on the deck, and tried to capture its image, but they are so fast!

hummingbird Aug 11 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The Great Blue Lobelia, or Blue Cardinal Flower, is another favourite of the hummingbirds! It's a native plant, and has self-seeded. I have tried several times to videotape them at these plants, but they are too quick for me. 

Phoebe, cherry tomatoes, Fred, et al

 Joe Brian looked at my images of the bombers from Canada Day. His uncle flew a Lancaster in WW II. He did not come back from the war. Aster took some great photos!

Happy July 4th to my American friends. 

Phoebe's 2nd brood hatched July 2nd. This is from a brood in the shed in another year. 

I watered the garden, as it is pretty dry. Watering the hanging planters is a daily task. Look at the cherry tomatoes!

The milkweed plants are so tall. It is a good year for them. I ordered some seeds online, but they haven't come yet. I'll have to wait for next year to sow those. 

Fred is looking tubby. They have a reproductive system like the deer. They are impregnated, but the fertilized eggs don't implant right away. They've a one-month gestation, so you'd think you'd notice teats by now. Babies are born hairless, and spend 44 days depending upon momma, but begin eating greens at three weeks. Maybe my research is moot! 

I've been hearing the rose-breasted grosbeak. It landed where the feeder used to be out the front window. This proof of life I snapped from my easy chair, while watching tennis. Thankfully, I've arched photos!

Wed., July 3rd

It began cloudy, but it cleared up. It was the day to test my aquarium fix. Removing most of the gravel, I realized that I should remove it all!  As I rotated the tank, a counter clockwise turn each time, it stuck in the newly laid caulk. I yelled for help from JB. He held the caulking gun each time I'd rotate. It really helped. 

I pulled the hose up from the middle deck, and a gray tree frog popped out of the middle. Filling it half full, we went to the TV to watch Canadians playing tennis. 

  

I left it for an undetermined amount of time, and there was a slow drip out the side that had the original leak. What's with this?! I'm not back to square one, at least the other corners are watertight. I'll need to do some more thinking.